Pedal system

ABSTRACT

A pedal system for bicycles includes a shoe insert, which can be fastened to the exterior of a shoe, having a detent element. The pedal system also includes a pedal, which can be fastened to the bicycle, can rotate about an axis, and which has a seat for accommodating the detent element. The detent element can be locked counter to elastic force inside the seat and can be released therefrom by executing a rotating movement. The seat for the detent element is formed between two seat parts, which are rotationally symmetrical with regard to the pedal axis and which can be displaced away from one another counter to elastic force in the direction of the pedal axis.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pedal system for bicycles comprising a shoeinsert, which can be fastened on a shoe and has a detent element, and apedal, which can be fastened on the bicycle and can be rotated about anaxis, and which pedal has a seat for the detent element, in which seatsaid detent element can be locked against elastic force, and from whichseat same can be released by carrying out a rotating movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pedal systems have been successful for racing bikes and mountain bikes,which pedal systems consist of shoe inserts fastened on the shoes and ofpedals fastened on the bicycle. Pedals which each have lockingmechanisms and which are designed correspondingly on two opposing sides,for the releasable locking of the detent element of the shoe insert, arecommon. Such pedal systems are known, for example, from EP-A-1 167 173and the EP-A-O 826 589. Since these pedal systems have two lockingmechanisms and thus make available two locking positions for the shoeinsert, they are designed very complex and consist of many, often smallcomponents. This makes this pedal system susceptible to repairs and setslimits to the desire to have them have as low a weight as possible. Alsowith respect to their function these pedal systems are not optimal. Theuser must beforehand adjust the position of the pedal relative to theshoe insert in order to be able to carry out a locking. The shoe mustunder all possible circumstances, in particular in the case of a fall ofthe biker, be able to be quickly and easily released, even when thebiker cannot release the pedal by force. Many of the known pedal systemsare also in need of improvement in this regard.

Thus the basic purpose of the invention is to design a pedal system ofthe above-mentioned type in particular in such a manner that, forlocking of the detent element of the shoe insert, a beforehandpositioning of the pedal is not needed, and that is designed simply andhas fewer components than the known systems.

The set purpose is attained inventively by the seat being formed betweentwo seat parts, which are designed rotationally symmetrically withrespect to the pedal axis, and which can be moved away from one anotheragainst elastic force in the direction of the pedal axis.

An inventively designed pedal system has therefore a pedal with a seatfor the detent element, which permits equally over the entirecircumference a locking of the detent element. Thus the necessity ofhaving to pay attention regarding the insertion of the shoe at aspecific pedal position is no longer needed. Compared with the doublelocking mechanisms common from the known pedal systems, an inventivepedal system can thus also have significantly fewer components. This isadvantageous for the weight and the durability of the pedal.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is that the seat parts form orhave receiving grooves facing one another. Thus a particularlyoperationally safe design can be assured.

It is thereby merely necessary that one of the two seat parts can bemoved against elastic force, thus supporting a simple design andreducing the number of components.

A simple, advantageous and very robust design of the pedal provides thatone of the seat parts is part of a first sleeve which is supportedrotatably with respect to the axis of the pedal, and the other seat partis part of a second sleeve which is supported movably on the firstsleeve.

The pedal can be designed especially compact by the first sleeve beingarranged non-movably with respect to the axis of the pedal, and thesecond sleeve being the one which is arranged movably against elasticforce.

Also the design and storing of the at least one spring has influence onthe durability of operational safety of the pedal system. It isparticularly favorable in this connection when at least one spring is acompression spring, which is supported with its one end on an abutmentconnected to the first sleeve and with its second end on the secondsleeve.

The first sleeve is rotatably supported in an advantageous manner bymeans of ball bearings directly on the axis part of the pedal.

The detent element provided on the base of the shoe is designedaccording to a preferred embodiment, of the invention as an elongatedcomponent, which has a wedge-shaped designed area for positioningbetween the seat parts.

Cams are sufficient for locking of the detent element, which cams areprovided on the side surfaces of the detent element.

Of a particularly comfortable design is the handling of an inventivelydesigned pedal system furthermore by connecting the detent element to acontrol element, which acts centeringly with respect to the seat of thepedal.

The control element is designed in an advantageous manner such that ithas laterally extending supporting wings, the inside of which come intocontact or are in contact with outer surface areas of the sleeves whenthe detent element is locked, which outer surface areas extendcylindrically and rotationally symmetrically with respect to the pedalaxis, and which are curved with a radius, which is larger than theradius of the outer surfaces of the sleeves. The difference between theradii assures the already mentioned centering function and has moreoverthe advantage, that during a rotational movement in order to release thelocked detent element, the supporting wings are supported in such amanner on the outer surfaces of the sleeves that they lift the detentelement and free same automatically from the locked position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The desire for few components and low weight is helped when the controlelement is part of the shoe insert, which part is connected directly tothe shoe.

Further characteristics, advantages and traits of the invention will nowbe described in greater detail in connection with the drawings whichillustrate one exemplary embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the pedal,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pedal according toFIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are oblique views of parts of the shoe insert,

FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the shoe insert,

FIG. 6 is a side view of the shoe insert,

FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the pedal with a locked shoe insert,

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pedal with a lockedshoe insert,

FIG. 9 is a top view of the pedal with an inserted shoe insert, and

FIG. 10 illustrates a position of the shoe insert relative to the pedalduring the release of the lock of the shoe insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The parts of the pedal system, which are provided for arrangement orfastening on the bicycle, are hereinafter identified as pedal 1, andthose parts, which are provided for fastening on a sole of the shoe, asshoe insert 12.

The design and the individual parts of the pedal 1 will now be discussedin greater detail in particular with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Thepedal 1 has an axis part 2 which is fixedly screwed to the crank of abicycle (not illustrated). The axis part 2 consists of severalcylindrical sections, which are arranged concentrically to one anotherand have varying diameters. The axis part 2 has at its one end in aconventional manner an inner end section 2 a with a thread for screwingof the pedal 1 to the crank of the bicycle. The end section 2 a isfollowed by a first bearing section 2 b, which is followed by a secondbearing section 2 c with a smaller diameter. The last section is anouter end section 2 d, which has a smaller diameter than the secondbearing section 2 c. The outer section 2 d has a thread for screwing ona bearing nut 3 and a lock nut 4.

A sleeve 5 is rotatably supported on the bearing sections 2 b and 2 c,which sleeve is not movable in axial direction relative to the axis part2. The sleeve 5 has a center section 5 a, with which it is supported onthe second bearing section 2 c, and each one inner and one outer endsection 5 b, 5 c. A circular shoulder 7 in the transition area of thecenter section 5 a to the inner end section 5 b forms together with acircular shoulder 8 in the transition area of the first bearing section2 b to the second bearing section 2 c a seat area for a first ballbearing 6 a. A further circular shoulder 9 in the transition areabetween the center section 5 a and the outer end section 5 c of thesleeve 5 forms together with a seat area 3 a circulating at the bearingnut 3 a seat for a second ball bearing 6 b. The outer end section 5 c ofthe sleeve 5 is designed like a hollow cylinder and has such largediameters so that the second ball bearing 6 b, the bearing nut 3 and thelock nut 4 can be positioned.

The center section 5 a of the sleeve 5 has on the outside aconcentrically circular seat part 13 having an also circular receivinggroove 13 b, which seat part 13 is open in direction of the inner endsection 5 b. The seat part 13 forms together with a correspondinglydesigned second seat part 14 of a further sleeve 15, having a groove 14b, the locking point for the shoe insert 12 to be described in greaterdetail later on. The faces of the edge areas 13 a, 14 a of the seatparts 13, 14 face one another in alignment. The sleeve 15 is moved ontoa cylindrical seat 10 on the outside of the center section 5 a of thesleeve 5. The cylindrical seat 10 has compared with the inner endsection 5 b of the sleeve 5 slightly larger diameter and is offsetrelative to same by a circular step 17. The step 17 forms a stop for ashoulder 16 around the inside of the sleeve 15. The one end of acompression spring 11 is supported on the shoulder 16, the second end ofwhich compression spring 11 is loaded by an adjusting nut 18, which isscrewed onto the inner end section 5 b of the sleeve 5. Thus it ispossible to change the initial loading of the compression spring 11 byadjusting the position of the adjusting nut 18. The end sectionfollowing the supporting shoulder 16 of the sleeve 15 forms togetherwith an area of the outer circumferential surface of the inner endsection 5 b of the sleeve a seat for the compression spring 11.

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate particularly well the design and arrangement ofthe parts of the shoe insert 12. The main parts of the shoe insert 12are a detent element 20 (FIG. 3) and a control element 21 (FIG. 4). Thedetent element 20 is an elongated component, which in the illustratedembodiment has a cavity over its longitudinal extent in order to reduceits weight. The detent element 20 has side surfaces 20 c, which extendparallel to one another, are of the same size and are designed in theform of equal-sided trapezoids, a rectangular upper side 20 b and faces20 a with wedge-shaped converging side edges so that the undersideopposite the upper side 20 b is formed by two wedge surfaces 20 d. A cam22 is provided centrally on each side surface 20 c. Two screw holes 23for connecting of the detent element 20 to the control element 21 andtwo recesses 24 can be recognized on the upper side 20 b of the detentelement 20, which recesses 24 make available space for screw heads ofscrews 23 (see FIG. 8) for fastening of the control element 21 to theshoe (not illustrated).

The control element 21 consists of a center base part 21 a, which hasthe screw holes 26 for connecting to the detent element 20 and the screwholes 27 for connecting of the element 21 to the shoe. Supporting wings21 c follow the base part 21 through slightly inclined connectingsurfaces 21 b, the underside of which supporting wings 21 is curvedalong arches, the radii 21 d of which are slightly larger than theradius of the outer surface of the outer end section 5 c of the sleeve 5or the radius of the outer surface of the sleeve 21, the radii of whichcorrespond in the illustrated embodiment. The control element 21 and thedetent element 20 are furthermore in the illustrated embodimentcomponents symmetrically designed with respect to their longitudinal andtransverse axes. The detent element 20 screwed to the underside of thebase part 21 a projects beyond the lateral supporting wings 21 c of thecontrol element 21.

FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate the shoe insert 12 in its position inserted onthe pedal 1, the cams 22 grip under the edge areas 13 a, 14 a of theseat parts 13, 14 and the supporting wings 21 c contact centrally theoutsides of the sleeves 5 or 15.

The inventive pedal system does not only have a simple design but isalso especially functional. In order to lock the shoe insert 12 on thepedal 1, the pedal 1 does not need to assume a particular position; alocking of the detent element 20 in the seat formed between the seatparts 13, 14 is equally possible over the entire circumference of thepedal 1. The biker must merely position the detent element 20 betweenthe two parts 13, 14 and lock same by applying a certain force. Thewedge surfaces 20 d of the detent element 20 make positioning of thesame easier. The sleeve 15 is during the locking operation moved againstthe force of the spring 11 by the cams 22. When the two cams 22 arewithin the edge areas 13 a, 14 a, the sleeve 15 is returned again intoits initial position. The shoe insert 12 is therefore frictionallyconnected to the pedal 1 so that the pedal system can be stressed bothfor pull and also pressure. Due to their particular design, the twosupporting wings 21 c perform, during the insertion of the detentelement 20, a control function to center the detent element 20, which,if necessary, is initially positioned off-center (in relationship to thelongitudinal axis of the pedal 1).

The release of the shoe insert 12 from the pedal 1 is possible quicklyand without any problems under all possible conditions—also in the caseof a fall of the biker. Even when a force is applied from the shoe ontothe pedal 1, a quick release of the shoe from the pedal 1 is guaranteedby a turning of the shoe into one of the two directions. A turning ofthe shoe and thus of the shoe insert 12 has the consequence that, asillustrated in FIG. 10, the detent element 20 moves the sleeve 15against the force of the spring 11 and enlarges the opening between theseat parts 13, 14 so wide that the detent element 20 can come free. Thesupporting wings 21 c, which slide on the outer surfaces of the sleeves5 and 15, and cause at the same time due to the mentioned varying radiia lifting of the shoe insert 12 relative to the pedal 1. The components,which participate in these sequences of movement, are therefore designedand adjusted to one another in particular in such a manner that after acomparatively small angle of rotation of, for example, approximately10°, the cams 22 are already on the faces of the edge areas 13 a, 14 aof the parts 13, 14. The detent element 20 is in this mannerautomatically freed from the locking.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiment.Thus, it is, for example, possible to design the pedal 1 in such amanner that selectively one of the sleeves is arranged movably againstthe spring force or also that both sleeves are movable. Instead of onespring it is furthermore also possible to provide several springs.

1. A pedal system with a shoe insert and a pedal that is rotatablymounted on a pedal axle, the pedal having a seat for a detent element ofthe shoe insert, in which the detent element is engaged against a springforce and from which the detent element is detached by performing arotating movement, wherein the seat is conformed between two seat partsthat are constructed rotationally symmetrically about the pedal axle,which are slidably related to each other along the pedal axle under saidspring force, and which are components of sleeves with cylindricalexternal surfaces outside of the seat, wherein the detent element is anelongated part that extends perpendicularly to the pedal axle whenengaged in the seat, and which has two cams that clasp below the seatparts in the engaged position, the shoe insert having a control elementwhich is forced against the cylindrical external surfaces of the sleevesin such a manner that when the shoe insert is rotated to release thedetent element, the detent element is raised.
 2. The pedal systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the seat parts further comprise receivinggrooves facing one another.
 3. The pedal system according to claim 1,wherein one of the two seat parts is displaced against said springforce.
 4. The pedal system according to claim 3, wherein said sleevescomprise a first sleeve and a second sleeve, and one of the seat partsis part of the first sleeve, which is supported rotatably with respectto the pedal axle, and the other seat part is part of the second sleeve,which is supported movably on the first sleeve.
 5. The pedal systemaccording to claim 4, wherein the first sleeve is fixed along the axisof the pedal, and the second sleeve is non-fixed, and biased by saidspring force.
 6. The pedal system according to claim 5, wherein at leastone compression spring provides said spring force, which compressionspring is supported at a first end on an abutment connected to the firstsleeve and at a second end on the second sleeve.
 7. The pedal systemaccording to claim 4, wherein the first sleeve is supported rotatably bymeans of ball bearings on the pedal axle.
 8. The pedal system accordingto claim 4, wherein said control element acts centeringly with respectto the seat of the pedal.
 9. The pedal system according to claim 8,wherein the control element has supporting wings extending laterally ofthe detent element, the insides of which supporting wings contact theexternal surfaces of the sleeves, which outer surface areas extendcylindrically and rotationally symmetrically with respect to the pedalaxis, and the supporting wings are curved with a radius which is largerthan a radius of the external surfaces of the sleeves.
 10. The pedalsystem according to claim 9, wherein the control element is connected toa shoe.
 11. The pedal system according to claim 1, wherein the detentelement is an elongated component which has a tapered portion foraligning the detent element between the seat parts.
 12. The pedal systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the detent element has side surfaces,which have centrally each one cam.
 13. A pedal system for a bicycle,with a shoe insert that is configured to attach to a shoe and has adetent element, a pedal that is configured to attach to the bicycle andis rotatably mounted on a pedal axle, the pedal including a seat for thedetent element formed between two seat parts that are constructedrotationally symmetrically about the pedal axle, and which are biasedtoward each other along the pedal axle by spring force, the seat partshaving cylindrical external surfaces positioned outside the seat alongthe pedal axle, wherein the detent element is an elongated part thatextends perpendicularly to the pedal axle and has two cams which forcethe seat parts apart and clasp below the seat parts for the detentelement to engage the seat, and wherein the shoe insert includes acontrol element comprising two wings which bear on the cylindricalexternal surfaces of the sleeves when the cams of the detent element areengaged below the seat parts, in such a manner that the shoe insert isrotated about an axis perpendicular to and passing through the pedalaxle to force the seat parts apart against the spring force to releasethe detent element, and the detent element is raised out of the seat bythe bearing of the wings on the cylindrical external surfaces.
 14. Apedal system for a bicycle with a shoe insert that is configured toattach to a shoe and including a detent element, and with a pedal thatis configured to attach to the bicycle and is rotatably mounted on apedal axle, the pedal having a seat for the detent element, formedbetween two seat parts that are constructed rotationally symmetricallyabout the pedal axle and biased toward each other along the pedal axleby a spring force, the seat parts being components of sleeves withcylindrical external surfaces outside the seat, wherein the detentelement is an elongated part that extends perpendicularly to the pedalaxle when engaged in the seat, and has two cams which clasp below theseat parts, and wherein the shoe insert includes a control elementhaving supporting wings extending laterally of the detent element, thesupporting wings having an inside cylindrical surface contacting saidcylindrical external surfaces of the sleeves, the inside cylindricalsurface of the supporting wings having a radius of curvature which islarger than a radius of curvature of the external surfaces of thesleeves, whereby contact between the inside cylindrical surface of thesupporting wings and the cylindrical external surfaces of the sleevescenters the shoe insert on the pedal, and wherein said wings of saidcontrol element are forced against the cylindrical external surfaces ofthe sleeves in such a manner that when the shoe insert is rotated torelease the detent element, the detent element is raised.